lap band & esophagus stricture

I recently could not get a fill because I have a stricture in my esophagus.

anyone else have this and were you able to later on get a fill?

I put esophageal stricture in WebMd and it came up as Gerd.  What did your doctor say it is?

Does it mean the valve in your esophagus is malfunctioning? 

I've had irritation of the esophagus and had a slight unfill as a result until it healed, (which it did when I took OTC Prilosec for two weeks as perscribed).  But it wasn't referred to as a stricture.

I was told to avoid caffeine, chocolate, mint, chewing tobacco and spicy foods until it's healed all of which make the symptoms worse.  Were you having reflux at night? 

Please give us more details so we can learn from your experience. I'm sure someone wiser than I will answer your question but I'm so sorry you're having troubles and pray for quick healing so you can get a fill soon.

Best~
Lisa O.

Hello

I have read on here other people that have had strictures but as RNYers...basically it's a narrowing of the esophagus.  They can go down with a scope and stretch it back out with a balloon.  But I'm not sure how they would do that with a band patient.  They will need to unfill you I'm sure.  Most of the time Lapbanders have problems with dilation of the esophagus.   

A stricture is just that, a stricture. It can happen to people that never had WLS.

They just go in with an endoscopy and stretch it out. It can be done in banded people because the band is around the stomach, not the esophagus.

It takes about 10 seconds to dialate a stricture they use a dialator ran down on a wire,  that they  place when they scope you I have had it done once and seen it done a hundred   times when I worked in GI. its a very easy procedure. I see no reason you would not be able to get a fill after having it done  But your doctor will have to decide that  I had my EGD a year before I had my band placed.